MANILA – TNT Tropang 5G unleashed a dominant all-around performance to overpower Meralco, 109-92, in Game 2 of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup semifinals on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, moving within one win of the Finals.
Jordan Heading set the pace early and delivered consistently on both ends, finishing with 24 points highlighted by two three-pointers and a four-point play to earn Player of the Game honors as TNT seized a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Heading ignited the Tropang 5G’s fast start in the opening quarter, where they raced to a 29-19 advantage, then maintained control the rest of the way. TNT later stretched the margin to as many as 24 points as Meralco struggled to mount a sustained response.
Calvin Oftana led TNT in scoring with 26 points, while Roger Pogoy and Kelly Williams chipped in 12 apiece. Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser added 11 points to bolster the balanced attack.
For Meralco, Chris Newsome and Clifford Hodge tallied 18 points each. Kier John Quinto scored 13, while Kurt Reyson and Aaron Black finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, San Miguel Beermen leaned on a deeper rotation to bounce back against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, pulling away for a 93-84 win in Game 2 of their semis series.
After struggling for support in the opener, the Beermen got timely contributions from their reserves, highlighted by a strong third-quarter push that shifted momentum in their favor.
Celedonio Trollano and Jericho Cruz sparked that run, before Jeron Teng sealed the outcome with a decisive fourth-quarter performance as they knotted the series at 1-1.
Teng led San Miguel’s bench production with 13 points, pouring in 11 in the final period to go with five rebounds and three assists. Trollano added 12 points and five boards, while Cruz chipped in 11 as the Beermen spread the scoring load more evenly.
The added support eased the burden on San Miguel’s mainstays, though June Mar Fajardo still anchored the effort with another dominant showing of 21 points and 23 rebounds./PN
